International. Some countries achieve much better than others in saving energy, but all can better use efficiency to meet their Paris Agreement climate goals, according to the 2018 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard released by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
The report explains that no country came close to a perfect score, and the average remained the same as in 2016 – 51 out of a possible 100 points. Overall, Germany and Italy tie for first place this year with 75.5 points, followed closely by France (73.5), the United Kingdom (73) and Japan (67).
This fourth biennial scorecard ranks 25 of the world's largest energy users on 36 efficiency indicators and highlights best practices countries can use to drive energy savings. For the first time, it includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ukraine.
"Our results show that all countries would benefit from adopting additional energy efficiency policies," said Steve Nadel, executive director of ACEEE. "These policies will reduce dependence on energy imports, create jobs, reduce pollution and save people and businesses money. They will also help countries stay globally competitive and meet climate targets," Nadel said, noting that global energy demand is projected to grow by 30% by 2040.
Within sectors, Germany scored best for national efforts, including cross-cutting objectives and programmes. Spain ranked first in building-related efforts, while Japan led in industry and France in transportation.
In a worrying development, the United States fell from eighth place in 2016 to tenth in 2018 by scoring six points less.
"This trend is likely to persist if the current administration continues to dismantle key regulations," said Shruti Vaidyanathan, aceee's senior research adviser. "At imminent risk are fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards for light vehicles for models 2021 onwards, a program that puts the United States at the forefront of vehicle efficiency efforts." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's actions also threaten vehicle standards, and future improvements to existing appliance standards have stalled. Moreover, the WITHDRAWAL of the United States from the Paris Agreement suggests further setbacks to come. The administration's focus on energy production rather than efficiency has meant that progress on federal energy efficiency policies has largely stalled.
On a positive note, the country that has improved the most this year is Mexico, which went from 19th place in 2016 to 12th this year by obtaining 17 more points. The recent adoption in Mexico of a comprehensive energy efficiency program, the National Program for the Sustainable Use of Energy, has stimulated significant investment in efficiency programs and standards. In addition, Mexico is just below the United States and Canada in the ranking this year, suggesting that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) may play a role in harmonizing efforts among the three member countries.
At the bottom of this year's rankings are Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with scores of 16.5 and 18 points, respectively. However, the scores of these countries partly reflect little data availability. South Africa completes the bottom three with a score of 23.5, almost 10 points lower than in 2016.
Energy efficiency will need to account for nearly half of all greenhouse gas emission reductions needed through 2040 to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius, according to the International Energy Agency. To meet their climate goals and reap the multiple benefits of energy efficiency, countries must incorporate efficiency into their economic and energy-related plans and learn from each other by emulating the best policies and practices of leading countries.
Source: ACEEE.
